A reflection on the daily readings by Father Perry.
+ The psalmist sings today: “Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord; the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.”
+ At St. Bernard’s today, we will be reading both options (Song of Songs 2:8-14; Zepheniah 3:14-18a) for the first reading from the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament), because both are love texts and both sing of an Israel that is blessed because she recognizes her God as Lord.
Of course, Christians, too, interpret the Song of Songs love song as the bride (church) in love with her husband or lover (God) who is Lord.
When God who is Lord is in a harmonious relationship of love with his people. Wow!
Of course, God always seeks that love relationship with his fickle and unstable and idolatrous and weak and sinful people!
It is not a problem from God’s side of the equation. The problem is the other way around.
People sometimes — or many times — often forget and get out of harmony, sync, appreciation, or out of love with their God and forget he is Lord.
The two first readings today are like a photo snapshot in time when all is good with Israel, with church, with us — a time when we remember that our God is Lord!
+ That kind of graced knowledge and wisdom is readily seen and recognized in the Gospel today in the famous visitation recognition scene when Mary enters the home of her cousin, Elizabeth.
It is a triple recognition scene.
First, Elizabeth recognizes that Mary, the mother of her Lord Jesus, has entered her home.
Second, the claim is that her cousin’s baby, John, perceives that Mary has entered the home of his mother, Elizabeth.
Lastly, Elizabeth, aware that her son has recognized Mary, realizes that the future John the Baptist has been blessed and graced by the Lord’s presence.
There is a lot of recognizing, harmonizing, celebrating, and dancing to the reality of the Lord entering their home, their lives, and their hearts.
Rejoice! Here comes the Son! Here comes the Lord!
Shouldn’t we be dancing a cumbia?
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
